Hauschka & Hildur Gudnadottir

Our review
Customer reviews
Press release
Soundclips

5...according to our Phil on Thu 22 Sep, 2011.

Woo. A new Sonic Pieces. Time to rejoice! As ever the first edition of these things come in hardback book sleeves which are handmade and numbered of 450. They're lovely and when you've got a bunch of 'em sat on your shelf they look nothing but classy. (**This is now sold out, we only have the second edition!!**)Looks aside, 'What's on offer for my ears?', I hear you ask. Well, it's a collaboration between Hauschka and Hildur Gudnadottir. It was recorded live at Kings Place back in February 2010. The concept behind the sounds (there's always a concept) is that the suite of music was inspired by the complex set of pantones (colours to normal people) of the sea. So from the off you're treated to a nautical journey which is nothing short of magical. Hildur's cello combined with Hauschka's percussive piano stylings is marvellous. The whole thing works a treat and it's amazing when you find out they worked the whole thing out the day before. As ever Hauschka's piano is playful and arresting, Hildur's cello is moving and emotive and the two work hand in hand to create a unique, intense sound which will entrance you and leave you a wasted pile of mush in the corner of the room. That's always the sign of a good record in my book. You wouldn't know it's live either as it's been beautifully recorded but I think that might have something to do with Nils Frahm's mastering skills. I'd recommend listening to it in the bath for the full aquatic effect.

To play these clips you need to either update your browser (Norman Records recommends Google Chrome) or update your Flash plugin.

Volker Bertelmann and Hildur Guðnadóttir hardly need an introduction - their distinct styles
have graced the speakers of pretty much anyone enamored with experimental music in the last
decade, and between them the two have chalked up an enviable canon of successes.
Bertelmann, under the Hauschka moniker has explored the extremities of prepared piano
improvisation, and Guðnadóttir has taken cinematic, explorative cello music into a new era of
depth and passion, so to hear them both together is a rare and unexpected treat. Rare is
putting it lightly even - „Pan Tone“ is a recording of a single concert which the duo performed
on the 26th of February 2010 as part of Arctic Circle - Bubbly Blue and Green festival at Kings
Place in London, and documents an event that would truly never be repeated. Sure, they could
attempt to re-create the event, but the spontaneity and glorious serendipity in this particular
recording is a pleasure to behold.
Bertelmann and Guðnadóttir decided to create a set of compositions which based on the idea
of the ocean, and took a book of Pantones to extract exact references to the specific colors of
the sea. These watery tones form the backbone of the performance and inform the direction of
the collaboration, guiding us through rich blues, glassy greens and frothy whites. In listening
to the music it seems incredibly appropriate that the artists should choose blue as the middle
ground in their work; the ineffable lightness that Bertelmann brings to the table is a stark
contrast to Guðnadóttir´s sinking darkness, and as the two styles collide we witness a plethora
of tones, shades and hues. It sounds as if the two artists have been playing together for
decades, and their sound is so perfectly matched you might wonder why it´s taken them this
long to collaborate. All that´s left for us to do is to soak in the tidal beauty of this very
exclusive body of music, to listen to it sing, bubble and crash through its duration before
settling in total silence. When the record reaches its conclusion there is an unsettling calm, a
sense that you have witnessed something very special indeed, and that is a feeling to prize
amongst all else.